Rain
by LimeCandy
Summary: The rainy season has left Winry at home alone.


A/n This was written at 4 in the morning while listening to the rain. It's a bit of dribble and some drabble.

The rain outside was heavy, it seemed like there was barely any room for air between the sheets of water and it was not ending. It was the middle of the rainy season and since the ground was already saturated it the streets and fields were flooding quickly. Winry had decided to take a break from working on a new design for an ankle joint and looked out at the bleary world from her workshop window. The rain beat on the window pane with more force then she thought rain could have. The old house was alive with the sound or water falling. Luckily the hill usually prevented the basement from flooding and ruining the boxes of spare parts and old clothes down there. All she worried about was the roof. It was getting on in its years and she hadn't gotten around to patching the holes they found last year. The hole in the roof next to the door was steadily dripping water into an almost full bucket. Winry cursed and hurried to find another bin to catch the water. The ground was littered with old wires, forgotten screws and some delicate machinery to heavy to put on a table. Water was the enemy here. She settled for a dented old coffee can and picked up the filled bucket carefully. She mentally reminded herself to remind herself later to get the patchwork done as soon as the rains stopped. Spilling out the water in the kitchen sink she gathered the last remaining towel and went back to the shop. Holding up the can to the leak to catch it she spread the towel on the ground and placed the newly empty bucket over it. She wanted a little insurance if the bucket failed in the few hours she hoped to sleep. It was already very late and she had no more stomach for coffee.

There was a new leak. She'd found it in her room after she tried to lay her head down for sleep. Her pillow had been sopping and cold. The leak had splashed her in the face and had gotten in her eyes. "That's what I get for not turning on my light." She grumbled to herself turning on the light and inspecting the damage. The pillow looked like it had been thrown in a lake then placed on her bed. The blankets and mattress near and underneath it were soaked as well. The hole was pretty sizable considering that the ceiling had been whole the past morning. It had been raining in her room for a few hours and she crinkled her nose at the thought of her bed being damp for a few days after. Winry blew the wet bangs out of her face and pulled the bed near the door. She moved her trashcan to catch the rain and sat on the dry end of the bed for a brief rest.

Winry woke up to a stuffy head and an equally stuffy nose. Somehow she had migrated in her sleep and her head wound up on the pillow. "Oh perfect." She said. Her voice sounded raw to her ears and it hurt to speak. The clock on her desk told her she had slept five hours. She pushed herself up and walked to her closet. She was sick, no doubt about it, and she needed warmer clothes. After rummaging for a few minutes she finally slipped on a thick pair of lounge pants and a sweater of Ed's he had outgrown and given to her. He was bragging when he gave it to her but she didn't mind, she was glad he was growing and she liked that he had once worn this. A blush she blamed on the fever stole across her face when she thought that. She made her way downstairs to check on her workshop and to give Den her breakfast. She glanced at the calendar and noted granny was planning to come home in three more days. Hopefully the storm would blow over by then and free up the train tracks, it was starting to get a little lonely. Den licked her hand as she poured the food into the steel bowl. "Be a good girl." She scratched her beloved dog's ear and then made her way to the sink. Tea and toast this morning. She was too tired to do anything else. The eggs in the fridge would wait another day.

Her stomach ended up disagreeing with the toast and Winry had to resist the urge to crawl into a ball on her grandmother's bed and wishing the day away. She had a leg to finish for the farmer on the other end of town and she was behind schedule and that made her feel edgy and guilty. One thing she prided herself on was her work, not just the quality but the deadlines she gave were always met. She cleaned up and washed her face and put her hair up in a very messy bun. Her eyes were a little red and her cheeks were flushed, she looked like a sick person.

The bucket overflowed but the towel caught the over spill and for that she was glad. The rain hadn't let up and she imagined stepping out on the grass and being sucked in the mud like quicksand. After she had emptied the bucket and settled it back in its place she clicked her light on and got to work. The new design for the ankle eased the movements and allowed give without too much wear on the ball joint. The longer she worked the harder it was to concentrate. Her head hurt terribly and her sleeve was cold and damp from wiping her nose on it, not to mention her nose was raw from wool rubbing it for nearly three hours. The sweater was too hot and Winry felt clammy with sweat. It was time for medication if they had had any in stock at the house. Granny had probably taken it for her patient in Central. Not that she minded, she'd rather have someone who was recovering from surgery have relief then have any herself. She'd get over it the old fashioned way, rest and more rest. Although, she would be even more behind schedule for the leg, she tried to put that from her mind. She was a Doctor and she knew if she didn't try to do everything responsibly for her sick body then she'd get a stubborn patient as karma. Someone who refused to let himself rest, or even admit he was sick in the first place. She allowed a small smile and then a huge cough wiped it off her face.

The couch in the living room looked holy to her tired eyes, the beat up pillow and threadbare throw looked like the comfiest things on earth. Winry settled her aching body down and instantly fell asleep. Her dreams were in snippets but filled with horror and fear.

A loud ring jerked her into wakefulness; she was disoriented and scared until the word 'phone' trickled into her conscious. She stumbled over to the phone and picked it up. "Hello?" She croaked. All of a sudden a huge crack of lightning lit up the world and was instantly followed by a ground shaking boom of thunder. The windows vibrated with the force and Den yelped like her tail had been stepped on. She ran into the living room and darted under a chair, almost knocking it over in her hast. The power flickered and shut off. Winry couldn't even hear a dial tone so she hung up and crawled over to the chair Den was cowering under. "Poor darling," She whispered. Her voice sounded like a man's, and he had been smoking for a while. "It's ok Den. It was only thunder. We're safe in here." She pet the quivering black head. The house was dark and silent, aside from the constant drumming of rain. Winry grabbed the blanket from the couch and wrapped it around herself. Flashes of her nightmares played in her mind and she couldn't shake the feeling that there was something in the dark watching her. She pulled her blanket tighter around herself and continued petting Den.

She was drifting off when a huge thump near the front of the house forced her heart in her throat. It pounded painfully in the next breath. Den sat up and dashed out of the living room, barking her head off. Winry was frozen, she knew monsters existed and she was virtually alone. Her heart beats drown out the sound of the rain. The sound of the door opening was clear and crisp to her ears. She wedged herself into the corner. The nightmare, the eerie feeling and now all the scary things her mind kept coming up with were bombarding her. Heavy feet hit the wooded floor and Den was still barking madly. Den! Her sweet, lovable dog was out there with who knows what. Winry's fear let her limbs go and she stood up carefully as to not make any noise. The footsteps were in the kitchen. If her dog got hurt there'd be hell to pay. She picked up an ash tray off of the table and quietly but swiftly made her way to the hallway. A cough tried to fight its way out but she viciously fought it back till her eyes watered with the effort. She inadvertently let out a noise and the heavy footfalls were coming her way. Steeling herself she whipped around the door and raised her weapon. A few things happened at once; one her startled blue eyes met startled golden eyes, two was that she found out the ash tray was full and she had spilled tobacco ash into the air, causing a very long and embarrassing coughing fit.

"Are you ok?" A soggy Edward Elric asked for the sixth time. His panicked face was cute but she was too busy trying to stop her coughing to really appreciate it. Winry just nodded her head and sat down in a kitchen chair he pulled out for her. "You look horrible." He said bluntly, she would have gotten mad at him but she knew it was true. She looked bad before but not tears were streaming down her face and her eyes were probably redder than ever. She tried to give him a dry look anyway. It either failed or he ignored it. He shoved a cup of water in her hand and she tried to take a drink, instead of it doing what she'd like a cough bubbled up and caused her to spit up the water all down her front. Winry groaned as Ed patted her back. "I'm sorry I surprised you," He apologized. "I was just on my way and then this storm started up, and I was too far just to turn around." Winry calmed her coughing and dried her eyes. "It's alright. You just scared me." She noticed his clothes. His pants were almost completely covered in mud and grass, his jacket and shirt were plastered to him with the weight of water. His hair was wet gold and there were droplets still clinging to his lashes. "Oh Ed!" She exclaimed, horrified because he could catch a cold like that. "What possessed you to go out in _this_? Couldn't you have stopped at a hotel?" She took his hand and dragged him up the stairs. He laughed and it sent a warm thrill down to her toes. It had been too long. "I did, I was in my room and then I called you to tell you I was coming," She used a bath towel to dry his hair. "But when I heard a voice I didn't recognize I got worried and rushed over here." Winry blushed. "Do I sound that bad?" He chuckled and took the towel from her, rubbing his face. "Like a guy who's been chain smoking since he was ten." He said muffled by the towel. "I thought so." She sighed.

She made him change into dry clothes and got some thick comforters from her closet and put them on his bed. After he came back from changing he watched her make his bed. "Well you need sleep, you braved this storm and I don't want you getting a cold because of me." She passed him by the door and he stopped her with a hand to her forehead. "You need sleep too Winry, you have a fever." She nodded lightly. "I will. If you need anything I'll be in granny's room." He stopped her again. She couldn't help but notice his plain black tee-shirt was too tight. "What's wrong with your room?" She giggled and explained to him. He frowned and took her shoulders in his big hands and steered her towards his bed. "You would be better off here." She tried to protest. "The mini-hag wouldn't like you touching her stuff. The bed probably smells like old person anyway." Winry glared at him. "Besides I need to look after you." She could see his blush and blushed in return, realizing that he wanted her to stay. "Alright." She whispered. She looked horrible and sounded like dead warmed over, but he still wanted to stay with her. What a change from that brash young boy.

She snuggled into the bed, the blankets warmed almost instantly with her fever. Edward settled next to her, stiff for a few seconds before rolling over and enveloping her in his arms. They both sighed with content at the same time. "I missed you." She whispered, his arms tightened around her. "I missed you too." She fell into a deep sleep hearing his breath next to her ear.

The next morning she felt better and the sun was out. For the first time in days she couldn't hear rain. She went in her room to get a change of clothes but found Ed with a calking gun instead. The hole in the ceiling had been filled in. Winry threw herself in his arms. "Thank you!" She said into his chest. "You're welcome Win." He had chased away her sickness, the storm and had taken it upon himself to help her out. Eighty, ninety or a hundred percent of it- there was no other man she could think of giving her life to.

"Are there any other leaks in the roof?" He asked.

"Ah! The workshop! My deadline!" It was today. She made a dash for downstairs before she came back and kissed him on the cheek. Then she clattered down the stairs bemoaning her ruined schedule. Edward followed with the gun and a spring in his step.


End file.
